Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), one of Israel’s strongest supporters in Congress, expressed full support for President Donald Trump’s attacks on Iran as lawmakers reacted to “Operation Epic Fury.”
“Negotiations have never worked [with Iran],” Fetterman told Fox and Friends Weekend in an appearance Saturday morning. “Sometimes you have to take action to create peace.”
He also was critical of European leaders calling for negotiations to resume.
“Why can’t we all agree that the Iranian regime has to fall?” he said.
He countered Democrat criticism of the operation with “It’s about country over party.”
Earlier, the senator weighed in on X:
“President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region,” he wrote. “God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel.”
A member of the Homeland Security Committee, the senator continues to be a bipartisan surprise after many conservative commentators thought the Pennsylvania politician would be a far-left lawmaker when he ran for office in 2022.
Fetterman has criticized his fellow Democrats on a number of issues and also bucked his party by supporting the operation that destroyed Iran’s nuclear sites in June of last year.
No surprise in his support of the president’s action is Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who has historically backed military solutions to a number of conflicts abroad.
“As I watch and monitor this historic operation, I’m in awe of President Trump’s determination to be a man of peace but at the end of the day, evil’s worst nightmare,” Graham wrote Saturday morning on X in a string of posts. “Well done, Mr. President.”
In another, he posted the president’s announcement of the operation and said, “God bless President Trump, our military and our allies in Israel.”
Reactions continue to come in Saturday from present and former lawmakers.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who has been exceptionally critical of the president since their term together ended, voiced his support on X, saying, “Justice is Being Served Against the World’s Leading State Sponsor of Terrorism.”
One of Trump’s longtime Republican critics, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), continued with his displeasure regarding the president, claiming on X that Trump did not seek congressional approval, though there was a meeting held earlier this week with the Gang of Eight, a group of lawmakers who are briefed on highly classified issues and operations, Fox News reported.
“Acts of war unauthorized by Congress,” Massie wrote on X.
In another post, he wrote, “I am opposed to this War. This is not ‘America First.’”
The U.S. military operation, working in concert with Israel, is targeting military targets and ballistic missile sites that pose an “imminent threat,” a U.S. official told Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin.
The U.S. military is not targeting Iran’s leadership, but Israel is, the official added.
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the author of the New York Times true crime best seller House of Secrets and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
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